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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699616">Chasing after a shadow of what could have been</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nami/pseuds/Nami'>Nami</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Devil May Cry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Incest, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Smut, Top!Nero, bottom!Dante</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:42:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nami/pseuds/Nami</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Their phone calls became rarer and rarer until one day Nero realized it had been weeks since the last time they spoke. Dante hadn’t called anymore, nor had Nero. He had received a DMC logo from Dante though so it wasn’t as if Dante was mad at him. They just... stopped. </p>
<p>--</p>
<p>Dante and Nero were together after events of DMC4 before drifting apart. Now, with Dante back from the hell and Nero staying at the DMC office for a while, they finally have a chance to talk again. </p>
<p>Right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dante/Nero (Devil May Cry)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>86</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chasing after a shadow of what could have been</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaurasStarlight/gifts">LaurasStarlight</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote this fic for my friend Zelda who requested a romance with Dante and Nero having a thing in the past. It was very fun to write and I'm very happy Zelda asked me to write this fic. Thank you, dear ♥ You're a wonderful friend and I'm very  happy I met you ♥♥</p>
<p>Big thanks to Kori (BirdFlash_Virus on twitter) for being MVP who caught my grammar mistakes and made this story readable. I owe you a big basket full of chocolate :D </p>
<p>I'm a big sap and a fan of pinning (you read the title of this story, right?) - proceed with caution.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chasing after a shadow of what could have been</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The office was as quiet just as Nero had left it. He switched the lights on; soft, yellow light illuminated the empty room as Nero told himself he didn’t feel any pang of sadness. Six weeks of waiting for Dante made Nero stop being hopeful of Dante miraculously arriving home when Nero was away. Trish said it could take at least <em>months</em> to destroy all roots.</p>
<p>It was a silly fantasy anyway, the one Nero had entertained after moving in Dante’s house when laying in his bed at night: Nero came back from a mission, tired but happy about a good hunt, and Dante was sitting on the desk. They would look at each other in silence for a few seconds before Dante would come closer and touch Nero’s face as he used to all those years ago. Dante would apologise too, whisper against Nero’s lips how sorry he was—</p>
<p>It was a very stupid fantasy.</p>
<p>Shaking his head, Nero put down his weapons on the table under the windows. He didn’t need to clean Red Queen today, only needed to do the usual maintenance check-ins later. The nest of hell bats turned out to be just two of them and Nero had simply shot them down. There had been eggs though and Nero had to borrow gasoline from Nico to burn them all. Redgrave didn’t need more demons; after the Qliphoth incident, the city and nearby areas were saturated with them. He and Nico had their hands busy the whole time.</p>
<p>Nero looked around the office, noting to himself he should tidy it up in a day or two. The place looked a lot better now than before and Nero wanted it to stay like that. It always felt better to come back to a house which didn’t look like a garbage site. </p>
<p>The phone on a desk started to ring. With a tired sight, Nero walked to it, hitting a play button on the jukebox on his way. Dante had a surprisingly good collection of old rock pieces which Nero liked to listen to after a hunt. Funny how he had never asked what Dante liked, what he did in his spare time. </p>
<p>He picked up the phone before it rang again.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“<em>Hello, Nero.</em>” It was Morrison. “<em>I’m not interrupting?”</em></p>
<p>“Nah, I’ve just come back home. What’s up?” Nero leaned against the desk, twirling the phone's cable around his fingers. </p>
<p>“<em>Someone spotted Empusa between abandoned buildings on the north side of the city and the train station. The owner of the nearby construction site wants them gone.  Can you check it tomorrow?</em>”</p>
<p>It took them a few minutes to negotiate the price and Morrison’s cut, and Nero finished the call satisfied. It did help to have a broker; Nero now had more clients and money than ever. </p>
<p>Nico had told him she was going on a date so Nero decided to call her in the morning. Maybe at least one of them wouldn’t go to bed alone tonight. </p>
<p>After eating a re-heated lasagne from yesterday and a quick shower, Nero was ready for bed. It was barely 10 pm, but hunting every day was tiring and Nero needed to rest as much as he could. He felt bad about taking a day off when people would die, enough had died because of Urizen – Vergil – already. At least Lady would be back in the city in a few days and Nero would happily share the workload with her. </p>
<p>Dante’s bedroom still smelled like him even after Nero had scrubbed the floor and walls clean from <em>things</em> he sure belonged in a biological laboratory. He had worried for a moment if he should look for a biohazard waste landfill to throw all trash bags there.</p>
<p>Nero stood at the door for a long moment, just savouring Dante’s scent. He didn’t remember enjoying it so much back in Fortuna; was it because of his awakened demonic powers? Maybe. Nero didn’t have anyone to ask about it though – Trish could have probably known, but Nero felt strange asking her about something so intimate. </p>
<p>Nero slid under the duvet, sighing with content. The bed in the guest’s room wasn’t even close as comfortable as this one. At first, Nero slept there but just after a week or two he had started to miss Dante’s scent so much, he decided to switch bedrooms. When Dante came back he would stop sleeping there. Or maybe he could stay...?</p>
<p>Nero turned onto his stomach, wrapping his arms around the pillow and pushing his face into it, breathing in faint traces of Dante’s scent, his heart beating quickly. Sparda, he had no idea how much he had missed that fucking bastard before seeing Dante again. And how he looked like now! Gone was the suave guy with an infuriating smirk and weird fashion choices. The Dante Nero saw was more sombre, quieter, pushed people away... but his gaze was as gentle as always had been, his words might hurt but in the end, Dante said – did – everything out of a sense of protection. Love, maybe.</p>
<p>They were kinda together after the Saviour’s incident. Nero was unfamiliar with those new powers, afraid of hurting anyone with his amplified strength. So Dante had stayed, promising to train Nero and between one practice session and another they had kissed. It should have surprised Nero more but then, there was an attraction between them from the first moment they faced each other off.</p>
<p>Dante’s expression was unreadable after the kiss as if he had second thoughts until Nero pulled him down for another one. Next time they separated to catch their breaths, Dante had been only looking at him with fondness. From that moment they spent most of the time kissing and groping each other, Nero hungrily swallowing down Dante’s every moan, enjoying how he could make this strong demon hunter tremble with a bite on his neck or a kiss to his chest.</p>
<p>It did take them a while to have sex though. Dante let Nero rub himself against his thigh but he always used excuses of Nero being too young when Nero asked for more. It took Nero some convincing – and angrily hitting Dante during their spar – before they fell together on Nero’s bed and, oh, it was <em>glorious</em>.</p>
<p>Nero still remembered that with a vivid accuracy as if the memory of that night burned into his mind with HD quality. He remembered how Dante pulled him over himself, sliding his hands under Nero’s shirt and pulling it up, whispering hotly between kisses how he wanted <em>Nero </em>to fuck him first. Nero had spent a lot of nights, way more than he was willing to admit, imagining Dante fucking his brains out, covering Nero with that muscled body of his and thrusting into Nero’s ass like a man starved. </p>
<p>He hadn’t had too much idea what to do then, but Dante didn’t laugh. He talked Nero through everything, showed him how to spread Dante well, how to know when he was ready to take Nero’s dick. And it felt good, so fucking good when Dante’s pulled his legs up, holding them like that while Nero sank into him. Dante’s face changed to blissful and he threw his head back, moaning loudly, his ass clenching so tight around Nero, he was afraid he’d come too soon. </p>
<p>It did take him a moment to find a proper rhythm though, but Dante didn’t mock him for that. He encouraged Nero, told Nero how great it felt to be impaled on Nero’s big dick and soon Nero was panting over Dante, his body feverish as it was him who was getting dicked down. He watched almost in awe how Dante was stroking that monster he called a dick and he pushed Dante’s legs back even more, almost bending Dante in half, <em>needing</em> to make Dante scream his name, to see him coming all over himself because Nero’s cock was fucking him that good—</p>
<p>Nero rutted his hips lazily against the mattress, remembering how it felt to take Dante for the first time. That memory never failed to make him horny even if he was too tired to do anything about it. Shit. Too bad he hadn’t thought about it when taking a shower – not like he was too embarrassed to masturbate in Dante’s bed anymore, not after having a wet dream of Dante taking him in this very bed after Nero’s first night in there and then jerking off after waking up, coming over clean sheets.</p>
<p>Nero turned his face left, looking at the moon behind the window. Was it pathetic of him to long for Dante so much after they hadn’t seen each other for years, not counting that brief moment when fighting Urizen? </p>
<p>He couldn’t even say why they had drifted apart. They had liked each other’s company, but it had been difficult and tiresome to meet more often. Their phone calls became rarer and rarer until one day Nero realized it had been weeks since the last time they spoke. Dante hadn’t called anymore, nor had Nero. He had received a DMC logo from Dante though so it wasn’t as if Dante was mad at him. They just... stopped. </p>
<p>Nero had thought this flame inside of him burned out but the moment his eyes had landed on Dante again, that flame came back to life but as an inferno, threatening to burn everything in its wake. </p>
<p>This time, Nero thought, pulling the duvet under his chin, a memory of Dante’s arm hugging him close during nights making him feel like someone was holding him... This time they would make it work if Dante still wanted Nero even half as much as Nero wanted him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day started quite well only to go to hell as soon as a mission started.</p>
<p>Yesterday, the rumour about big hell bats’ nest hadn’t been even close to the truth – although it would be difficult to fight them all if those eggs hatched – today’s hunt for Empusas turned into a hunt for three Empusa queens, each of them with a small army of regular Empusas. To say Nero <em>disliked</em> fighting them would be too little. He congratulated himself for equipping a few Rawhides; it was his favourite Devil Arm to use when he was surrounded by enemies.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, even fighting in his trigger form didn’t save Nero from getting a nasty wound on his thigh and side. It was difficult to continue fighting and Nero beheaded the last Empusa with a shout of relief. Fuck. Nero fell to his knees, stabbing Red Queen into the ground and leaning against it, taking some of his weight from his legs. Blue streaks swirled around him, his trigger form disappearing on its own without Nero’s conscious decision. Not good. Maybe he needed that day off more than he thought so.</p>
<p>The wound on his leg started to already knit itself together nicely, but Nero’s side still hurt. He had got a few wounds underneath his ribs after injuring his thigh; from experience, Nero knew it would take more time to heal.</p>
<p>He took a deep breath and stood up slowly, looking around himself and trying to sense any demons creeping close. The street was empty though, nothing seemed to move in any of the buildings around, Nero couldn’t feel any ill intentions coming from any direction. Good. He could go back to Nico, ask her to drop him at the shop and then he’d call Morrison. Three Empusa Queens were something completely different from a single Empusa. Better pay too.</p>
<p>Nico was smoking in the driver’s seat when he came back, limping.</p>
<p>“You look like shit,” she proclaimed bluntly, breathing out cigarette smoke. “Try to not get blood on my seats.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to worry about me so much.” Nero rolled his eyes; his tone was light though. By now he learnt how Nico showed she was worried. “It’s still my car, remember? I can make the seats dirty. And it doesn’t bleed anymore anyway.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t too true, Nero felt how his shirt was getting wetter now and then, but he didn’t want to worry Nico more. He just grabbed a bandage from the first aid kit and did a quick job of putting it on the wound; it should last until he arrived back at DMC and could take care of it properly.</p>
<p>The closer they got to the office, the more Nero felt a weird itch under his skin. He felt restless, his demonic instincts making him want to bare his fangs at... Nero wasn’t sure exactly what. Was the blood loss affecting him? His demonic side sometimes reacted funnily at Dante’s collection of demonic arms; was it that again? Sparda, he was too tired. Nero rubbed his face tiredly, smothering a curse when the van jumped over something on a road, reminding him that his wounds were worse than he was willing to admit.</p>
<p>Nero’s poker face had to be worse than usual because Nico decided to help him go into the shop.</p>
<p>“Nico, I’m fine,” Nero repeated, even if he winced when leaving the van, his ribs and leg protesting. “I can walk alone.”</p>
<p>“Sure, you can,” Nico agreed before throwing his arm over her shoulders and pulling him closer. Nero might have been in worse condition than he thought so because his body just leaned against Nico with relief. She grunted under his weight but didn’t say anything. “But then I’ll call in a few days and I’ll hear you died of blood loss or something. Cracked your thick skull on those stupid stairs or something! Slipped in the bathroom—”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Nero pulled some of his weight on his good leg to not rely so much on Nico; she had a surprisingly strong grip on him though. “I will go straight to the bed, mom,” he joked, trying to focus on his words and not on stairs leading to the entrance.</p>
<p>Next thing he’d install would be a ramp. Much better than fucking stairs, he wouldn’t have to raise his legs so high.</p>
<p>The itch at the back of his head was back, growing stronger. It felt like an annoying fly, buzzing in his ear. There was something wrong in the office, Nero could feel it now, but it wasn’t hostile. Did Lady come back earlier? She mentioned bringing some weird artefact with her, maybe decided to drop it?</p>
<p>Nero pulled out the key and tried to unlock the door; it was already unlocked. Weird.</p>
<p>“Thought you locked them,” Nico mused, her voice a little strained.</p>
<p>“Yeah, me too.” Nero shook his head, feeling more tired with every passing second. “Maybe it was Lady,” he mumbled, pushing the door open with his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Lady?” Nico sounded surprised, opening the door wider and walking inside. “Why would Lady—” She stopped speaking and gasped.</p>
<p>Tiredly, Nero raised his head, looking in the same direction as Nico. What he saw there, punched the air out of his lungs.</p>
<p>By the desk, facing it, stood two people whose turned backs haunted Nero in his nightmares. Their coats were dirtier than at the top of the Qliphoth and they both slouched as if they were as exhausted as Nero was right now. They didn’t even turn to them like they hadn’t realized yet they weren’t alone anymore.</p>
<p>A thunder of different feelings rolled through Nero: sadness, anger, surprise, happiness, fury... He wanted to scream at them, at Dante, he wanted to punch them both for leaving him with this mess on the surface, he wanted to grab Vergil by his throat and show him the mass grave that had to be built for the people they couldn’t have found, he wanted to kick Dante for not telling him they were family, for letting Nero fall in love with his uncle...  But he also wanted to throw his arms around Dante and sob from relief into his shirt, to feel that Dante was back, that it wasn’t a joke or a blood loss induced hallucination. Nero needed to touch, to kiss Dante again, just this once, one last time...</p>
<p>Nero’s throat worked for a moment before he was finally able to speak again.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Dante?”</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>It had been too long since the last time Dante heard that voice.</p>
<p>He turned around and promptly every single alarm in Dante’s head went off when he saw the Goldstein girl helping Nero walk to the office. Nero’s face was bruised, he was limping and holding his left side. The strong smell of blood coming from him was concerning in more ways than one.</p>
<p>Dante opened his mouth to speak... and closed it again, suddenly realizing he had nothing to say. He had been thinking about this moment in the underworld, rehearsing their meeting again and again, but all words simply failed him when he finally faced Nero again.</p>
<p>“Go on, your fat ass is heavy,” the woman – her name was Nico if Dante remembered correctly – pulled Nero more in the room, towards the couch.</p>
<p>Nero stumbled obediently after her, not stopping looking at Dante even for a moment. At Dante’s left, Vergil shifted slightly, probably uneasy about the blood scent as much as he was.</p>
<p>“Let me help—” Dante’s brain finally kicked in and he walked towards the walking pair.</p>
<p>“No, no, I’ve got it.” Nico helped Nero to sit down and Dante observed with rising worry how her hand, the one she was supporting Nero with, was stained with blood too. “We’ve been taking care of each other for a while now.”</p>
<p>Ouch. That tone of voice wasn’t friendly.</p>
<p>Vergil noticed that too.</p>
<p>“As we can see,” he commented, not bothering to hide disbelief in his voice.</p>
<p>It made Nero growl before he grabbed at his side more, cursing under his breath. Nico turned to Vergil though, anger colouring her features.</p>
<p>“If some stupid bastard didn’t unleash hell on earth, we wouldn’t be so swarmed with work.”</p>
<p>If Dante had any doubts before that Nico was Neil’s grandchild, they all disappeared right at that moment. Sure, Nico was shaking, both in fury and in fear when facing a predator like his brother, but that didn’t stop her from giving him a piece of her mind.</p>
<p>He quickly stepped between Nico and Vergil. Not like Dante didn’t believe him to keep his promise of not causing more troubles, he just preferred to be cautious, for now.</p>
<p>“We will take care of Nero now, okay, Nico?” Dante smiled at her, trying to use some of his charm.</p>
<p>Dante knew he looked more than bad, all dirty and exhausted after going through hell but his smile had to be sincere enough Nico conceded. Or she was just as tired as Nero looked. Shit, how much those two had been working while he was gone?</p>
<p>“Fine.” Nico huffed. She nudged Nero’s foot with her own. “Don’t die, okay? I’ll take the van for a check-in, call me later.”</p>
<p>“... Sure,” Nero replied, tiredly and weakly.</p>
<p>He tried to move but then he grimaced and touched his side again. Without thinking, Dante found himself kneeling in front of Nero, tentatively reaching for him. Nero looked up at Dante – his eyes so blue and clear like the first time they met – and shook his head.</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” he whispered.</p>
<p>Dante didn’t believe him.</p>
<p>He barely registered Nico and Vergil talking in hushed voices behind him. All that mattered was Nero.</p>
<p>“Let’s take you up to the bathroom.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nero sat at the edge of the bathtub, discarding his shirt on the floor. He had a nasty bruise on his lower back and the cut under his ribs looked serious even for an enhanced human like him. Dante estimated Nero needed a few hours more to have it completely healed – maybe even less with his trigger form awakened – but one should never check what would be faster: demonic healing or fainting from the blood loss. Dante had learnt that the hard way. If there was a way to take care of wounds, it was better to use it.</p>
<p>It didn’t go unnoticed by Dante how the bathroom was as spotless as the office below. He hadn’t had time to check the whole place as he and Vergil had stumbled back into the shop just a few minutes before Nero did it, but from what he had already seen, Dante thought it wouldn’t be a stretch to guess Nero had cleaned most of the rooms.</p>
<p>That revelation made Dante feel different things. He felt strangely ashamed over the state of his house, for the first time in a long while, but he also felt something close to happiness. Nero <em>stayed</em> in his house, cared for it strong enough to take care of it.</p>
<p>Was <em>that</em> a stretch to think Nero may care about Dante too? Even after everything that had happened between them?</p>
<p>“What did it?” Dante sat by the bathtub with bandages and a bottle of antiseptic in his hands. The antiseptic looked to be freshly bought.</p>
<p>“One of Empusa queens.”</p>
<p>Nero’s voice was slightly lower than Dante remembered, rougher. He looked different too, but not in a bad way. During the mess with Urizen and V, Dante hadn’t had time to look at Nero properly. He <em>hadn’t wanted to</em>, not when he had been so sure he could die then, finally putting a stop to Vergil’s madness.</p>
<p>Now, Dante could look more even if it was breaking his heart in two.</p>
<p>Nero was... Four years ago in Fortuna, he had already been mesmerizing. Breathtaking. For Dante, Nero had been so beautiful it hurt to look at him. He had been off-limits, he should have been off-limits but somehow Dante had let Nero pull him closer, had wanted to warm himself at the fire burning in Nero. Their first kiss – and every single next one – was like a life-line, helping Dante stay afloat, but also showing him how deeply he had cared.</p>
<p>How he still cared.</p>
<p>Nero had grown a little taller over the years Dante hadn’t seen him. His chest was broader too, arms bigger, muscles more prominent. Dante could spend <em>days</em> looking at him, cataloguing every difference in both Nero’s body and his behaviour, wanting to re-learn the taste of Nero’s skin, to run his hands all over Nero’s athletic body and do things to him which would make the most depraved people blush.</p>
<p>Dante would forever miss those longer bangs, but he liked Nero’s short haircut too, he liked the way it showed off his eyes, high cheekbones and strong line of his jaw more. Nero became even more handsome than Dante could imagine but it wasn’t difficult to still see traces of his younger self in him.</p>
<p>Nero’s eyes shined brightly despite his exhaustion, but his lips were pressed into a thin line and it was like a bucket of cold water for Dante. He was sitting there, lusting over Nero, over his soft lips and handsome body, while Nero was probably quietly fuming inside over how Dante had hurt him. Dante shouldn’t even <em>think</em> about how much Nero had changed in such categories; Nero was off-limits.</p>
<p>“... Thought you would hit me. After coming back.” Dante poured antiseptic over the wound, carefully not looking at Nero, focusing instead of on the way Nero’s stomach muscles twitched. He didn’t want to see hatred aimed towards him in those beautiful eyes he still loved so much.</p>
<p>“You and me both,” Nero mumbled.</p>
<p>It was uncharacteristic of Nero to be so quiet and plaintive. Was he simply too tired? At the top of Qliphoth Nero had shown that his fire had only gotten stronger over the years, not weaker.</p>
<p>Dante had spent weeks imagining meeting Nero’s again. He prepared speeches how sorry he was about well...<em>everything</em> – of not telling Nero they were related, of hiding from Nero that Vergil was his father, of not calling anymore, letting them drift apart – but right now Dante found himself at a loss of words. He didn’t know what to say while he was bandaging Nero’s waist, trying to not get distracted again and instead stop the bleeding. Nero didn’t speak either and it would be unnerving if not for the fact Dante couldn’t feel any ill intent emanating from Nero. The kid wasn’t angry at him, at least not at this moment.</p>
<p>Dante didn’t know how to feel about it.</p>
<p>He finished wrapping the bandage when Nero decided to speak.</p>
<p>“Did you know we were family? Back when...”</p>
<p><em>Back when we fucked like rabbits?</em> Dante resisted the urge to laugh humorlessly aloud, trying to not think how much he missed thinking about them as ‘we’.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Dante whispered instead, his insides clenching nervously. He had betrayed Nero so much. “I knew.”</p>
<p>Nero pulled at bandages as if checking how tight they were wrapped around him before he looked down at Dante. He was biting his bottom lip and his eyebrows were drawn in like he was thinking about something hard. Was he wondering if he should retrieve Red Queen or just strangle Dante right here and then? There were few things Dante was afraid of and Nero’s reaction to finding out how Dante had kept the truth from him was one of them.</p>
<p>“Thought so,” Nero finally mumbled, his shoulders sagging down. “So... I guess I will pack my bags.”</p>
<p>“What?” There was a panic in Dante’s voice; he should have kicked himself for it because Nero should go away from Dante’s bad influence over him. “I’m not kicking you out, kid! You took great care of this place, I feel like I should pay you.”</p>
<p>The joke was bad but Nero’s face brightened anyway, left corner of his lips raised in a half-smile. Dante yearned to take that handsome face in his hands and kiss him breathless.</p>
<p>“You should. I’ve seen demons less disgusting than the mould in your bedroom,” Nero joked back, lightly. His skin got a little colour back and that made Dante feel a little better.</p>
<p>Then he realized what Nero had revealed – and Nero also did it judging by the sudden widening of his eyes.</p>
<p>“You cleaned my bedroom?” That was unexpected but... nice.</p>
<p>Nero rubbed his nose in embarrassment, turning his gaze away from Dante and Dante felt another urge to kiss him. He missed Nero doing this little gesture so much.</p>
<p>“Sorry. I... I slept better there.” Nero’s throat moved; he looked back at Dante, his face faintly red. “My demon side... it felt weird, you know?”</p>
<p>“Y-yeah, I know.” <em>Stupid, stupid, stupid idiot...</em> Of course, Nero felt better sleeping in Dante’s bedroom; his fully awakened demonic side had been looking for his kin. And here Dante already started to think that maybe Nero— “Is it better now? You don’t have problems with your trigger?” Dante stood up slowly, his legs shaking only a little under him. When was the last time he slept? He wasn’t sure.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m getting better at fighting in it. I’m going to beat your ass soon, old man.” Nero grinned at him and it made Dante’s heart beat faster. He would <em>not</em> get affected by Nero’s smile, wouldn’t he?</p>
<p>“Good thing I’m better at using my new form too.” Dante chuckled. “I, ah, I promised Vergil he’d get the guest room next to mine. You don’t mind taking the other one?”</p>
<p>Nero shook his head, standing up too. He still favoured his right leg, Dante noticed, but at least he wasn’t hunching anymore.</p>
<p>“Better if he’s between us.” Nero shrugged, his hand brushing against Dante’s and making him stop breathing for a second. “How is he? No more opening portals to hell? Lady told me a little about his favourite hobby.” Nero didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in his voice.</p>
<p>Dante didn’t pretend he couldn’t understand why. He has had over twenty years to forgive Vergil for the manslaughter he caused for the first time. It was less difficult the second time since it wasn’t exactly Vergil doing the killing – even if it was still his fault. Nero on the hand had to deal not only with the horror of seeing such slaughter for the first time but also losing a limb in an abhorrent way. Dante still remembered how sobbing Kyrie had called him, explaining what had happened. Another reason why he had attacked Urizen so recklessly; he had told V he wanted to stop Vergil but more than that he had wanted to avenge Nero.</p>
<p>Nero had a right to hate Vergil, hell, everyone had a right to do it and while Dante couldn’t do it anymore, he promised himself to not even try to defend Vergil’s actions. There was nothing to defend there after all.</p>
<p>“He’s... calm. More accepting of everything I guess.” Dante rubbed his cheek, lost in thoughts. “But you’re right,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, knowing full well Vergil’s hearing wasn’t that good, “I want people to keep an eye on him.”</p>
<p>It made Dante feel bad but in the end, it was just another thing on the long list of things he should feel bad about. ‘Being wary of a cold-blood murderer that happened to be your twin brother’ wasn’t even in the top five.</p>
<p>Nero nodded, his expression serious. Then, to Dante’s complete surprise, he reached up and pulled Dante into a one-arm hug. Nero’s body was warm and solid, he smelt like sweat and Dante’s soap, and under there was that distinct <em>Nero’s scent</em> Dante remembered. He closed his eyes, breathing it in, his hands twitching from the need to grab Nero, to pull him closer, to show him just how much Dante had missed him even if their relationship had been too fucked out for words.</p>
<p>Nero moved his head, his hair tickling Dante’s cheek, his lips so close to Dante’s skin that Dante could feel the warmth.</p>
<p>“It’s good to have you back.”</p>
<p>Nero pulled back, smiling in that sweet way that only he could and just for a moment everything was alright in Dante’s world.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After their hug in the bathroom, Nero awkwardly excused himself and went to take his clothes from Dante’s bedroom. In the meantime – because he didn’t need the sight of Nero in his bedroom, thank you very much – Dante went back downstairs to Vergil. Nico was already gone and Vergil was crouching down next to the jukebox, looking through the titles.</p>
<p>“Mermaid’s rock?” Vergil’s small smile was teasing. Damn, Dante wasn’t used to seeing Vergil smiling again yet.</p>
<p>“Don’t judge before you listen to it.” Dante raised his hands in mock surrender.</p>
<p>To his surprise, Vergil did choose that vinyl. The familiar tunes spread through the room, calming down something in Dante. He was back at <em>home</em>. Safe. After weeks of fighting demons after demons, he was safe.</p>
<p>“Could be worse, I suppose.” Yet, when Vergil stood up, his fingers tapped on the jukebox to the rhythm of the music. Dante pretended he didn’t notice that. “Trish called when you were with Nero.”</p>
<p>“What did she want?” Dante leaned against the jukebox.</p>
<p>His and Vergil’s shoulders brushed, but it didn’t make them jump away from each other. Little touches like that had become something familiar between them.</p>
<p>“Lady has a problem with retrieving some powerful artefact from a group she’s sure is controlled by a demon from the underworld. Trish said they could use some help and I agreed to do it.”</p>
<p>“You aren’t joking,” Dante said, dumbfounded. “Lady will shoot you. Like, I’m sure you’ll become her next practice target.”</p>
<p>“I will manage it.” Vergil shrugged, his jaw clenched stubbornly. Dante felt there was something more to this story. “It’s better than letting another bastard unleash hell on the earth, right?” And there it was.</p>
<p>Dante scowled, remembering Nico’s words, but he couldn’t say anything in Vergil’s defence. His brother knew exactly what he had done and it was good to see him trying to make up for it. Even if that meant becoming as full of holes as a block of cheese after meeting Lady. Maybe Dante should have called and warned her.</p>
<p>Dante sighed, giving up protesting.</p>
<p>“When are you going?”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow. We both need to sleep and rest. Trish will arrive here tomorrow and we’ll go there in her car.”</p>
<p>Dante desperately wanted to ask Vergil what he thought of Trish, how he, as V, had reacted to seeing her for the first time. In the end, he decided it was a too intimate question way too soon. They just listened until the song ended and then Dante showed Vergil his room – all clean thanks to Nero. Damn, Dante didn’t deserve that kid.</p>
<p>His bedroom smelt faintly of Nero, but the air was crisp; Nero had had to air out the room when he was packing his stuff. For a moment Dante thought about taking a shower but the adrenaline from meeting Nero again was fading away, reminding him he was simply too tired for that. He promised himself to do it tomorrow – he’d then think a little more about how Vergil wanted to go to that mission alone and if that was a good idea. Dante desperately wanted to believe his older brother to not do anything stupid again.</p>
<p>Dante slid under the duvet, marvelling at how <em>soft</em> it felt like. It’d been way too long since the last time he slept in a bed. He turned his face into the pillow, feeling as if his bones were melting when his nose picked up a scent he hadn’t smelt in years.</p>
<p>Looked like Nero hadn’t only <em>slept</em> in his bed.</p>
<p>Dante groaned, turning onto his back and throwing his arm over his face. He was almost too tired to <em>breathe</em> but just traces of scent of Nero’s sweat and cum, made the arousal pool down in his abdomen. Getting a hard-on over Nero wasn’t how Dante expected things to happen after he came back. It was <em>wrong</em> of him but damnit, if Nero wasn’t angry about hiding the truth about their family ties then maybe Dante could forgive himself too?</p>
<p>Forgiving didn’t mean jerking off to Nero though.</p>
<p>Dante clenched his jaw and shut his eyes tightly, hoping to be pulled into an embrace of sleep soon.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When Dante woke up the next morning it was to the sound of a car parking by the entrance to the shop. He laid motionlessly, feeling how Trish’s demonic aura entered the building and how a few moments later it left with Vergil following her closely. Dante looked at the spot of the sunlight on the wall with unseeing eyes, wondering if maybe he should have gone with them. But then Trish was a competent demon hunter; if she didn’t trust Vergil enough, she wouldn’t accept his help.</p>
<p>Nero was up, Dante realized, walking around the office in circles. His aura was irritated and Dante was almost sure he and Vergil exchanged a few stronger words. He woke up quite abruptly; maybe because of the ruckus those two had created?</p>
<p>Dante didn’t feel like leaving the bed today or even next week but distressing calls of Nero’s powers were too strong to ignore. With a sight, Dante left the warm bed, going to the bathroom. He opened his wardrobe on the way there, noticing how all his clothes were neatly folded and smelt clean. Shit, the kid took care of everything, didn’t he?</p>
<p>The hot water awakened Dante completely. He noticed that while the bottle of shampoo was the one he used, it was almost full while he was sure the one he had left was close to being empty. Somehow, that made him feel nice. Nero had used his stuff and liked it enough to buy the same brand. Did he miss Dante so much he wanted to surround himself with Dante’s scent?</p>
<p>Dante wanted to be naive enough to believe that. But just because Nero still made his heart skip a beat, it didn’t mean he affected Nero the same way. For all Dante knew, Nero could have stopped loving him the moment they drifted apart, when it had been becoming too difficult to call, when it had felt more like an obligation than anything else.</p>
<p>Nero was in the kitchen when Dante went downstairs. The table was full of food – were those fresh rolls? – and there was also a pot of freshly brewed coffee. Dante didn’t exactly need to eat but he felt his stomach clenching from hunger.</p>
<p>Yet, before he started to eat there was a more urgent matter to take care of. Nero looked like he was a moment from screaming and that was more important than food.</p>
<p>“So I guess you know about Vergil?” Dante sat at the table, pleasantly surprised when Nero leaned over it to pour him some coffee. Hmmm, maybe he didn’t screw things completely.</p>
<p>“I know,” Nero huffed. “Trish said she’s okay with it but I just... don’t know.”</p>
<p>Dante’s eyebrow raised in surprise; Nero didn’t notice, too busy buttering up his rolls with maybe a bit more force than needed. Man, the kid had matured while Dante wasn’t looking, hadn’t he? Four years ago he would be screaming and yelling, and while now Nero looked like he was barely keeping his temper at bay, he <em>was</em> keeping it away.</p>
<p>Dante took a sip of the coffee, wondering how he should answer. In the end, he decided for truth – it wasn’t Vergil’s secret and, after all, Nero deserved nothing less.</p>
<p>“Vergil wanted to help. Trish wouldn’t let him go with her if she didn’t think he’d be useful.” Then, to change the subject and because he <em>was</em> curious about it, Dante asked, “How are your ribs?”</p>
<p>“Much better. Doesn’t even hurt anymore.”</p>
<p>To prove his words, Nero raised his arms and stretched, his chest pushing out in a way that was more appetizing than the fresh food in front of Dante. The hem of his chest riled up, revealing a slither of Nero’s stomach and the trail of silver hair disappearing into Nero’s underwear. Dante quickly turned his gaze away before Nero could notice the hunger in it, scolding himself for looking there in the first place.</p>
<p>The silence settled around them but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It reminded Dante of all the mornings he had spent in the Fortuna, sharing breakfast with Nero, both of them sore but sated. It reminded him of little kisses they shared over meals, holding hands when no one could see.</p>
<p>Taking another roll from the plate Dante noticed Nero smiling lightly and he wondered if Nero was thinking about it the same. Was he, too, remembering how things used to be?</p>
<p>Nero pushed the plate away, wiping his mouth in the napkin. “I promised Morison to visit him and retrieve money for yesterday’s hunt. You... you won’t go anywhere?” Nero sounded unsure, those blue eyes looking almost pleadingly at him and Dante found himself shaking his head.</p>
<p>It wasn’t as if he had anywhere to go.</p>
<p>“Go, I’ll clean dishes. I know how to do it,” he added, his pride slightly wounded when Nero smirked at him.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Sure.”</em>
</p>
<p>Nero walked around the table and Dante’s heart beat faster. It was almost pathetic how much he wanted to touch Nero just for a second. Yesterday’s hug only made him long for more.</p>
<p>“See you later, kid?” It shouldn’t sound like a question.</p>
<p>Nero nodded and he leaned down a little, his face hovering above Dante’s before he only squeezed Dante’s shoulder, his cheeks slightly flushed.</p>
<p>“Yeah... see you.”</p>
<p>Nero quickly left the kitchen without looking back and Dante felt like he could breathe again. Did Nero still...? Was there a slightest of chance Nero wasn’t disgusted with him, that Nero would <em>want</em> the same thing as Dante, that he wished they hadn’t lost what was between them too?</p>
<p>Maybe, just maybe, things would get better.</p>
<hr/>
<p>For days things didn’t get better. They didn’t get worse too and that was an improvement in Dante’s book.</p>
<p>Nero didn’t get closer to Dante than occasionally touching his shoulder or his back or sitting too close to him in the van, their thighs touching each other. On his end, Dante couldn’t stop himself from touching Nero too, be it by clasping his shoulder or touching Nero’s hands under the guise of adjusting his grip on the sword, no matter how flawlessly it was.</p>
<p>They started to spend more time together too, watching movies or just sitting in silence, both of them simply enjoying each other’s presence. Dante constantly caught himself staring too long at Nero and his nape burnt often enough for him to know Nero stared at him too.</p>
<p>They didn’t talk though, not a word about what had used to be between them. Every night Dante went to the bed which smelt like Nero’s satisfaction and even if he felt like an old creeper, he couldn’t bring himself to change the sheets. In truth, Dante started to think Nero had left those sheets on purpose... but the next day he’d look at Nero’s innocent smile over breakfast and decide that Nero wouldn’t torture him like this.</p>
<p>Yet, in the end, it didn’t surprise him so much that Nero made the first move, two days before Vergil would be back.</p>
<p>Dante was closing the door to his bedroom behind himself after wishing Nero a goodnight – he <em>burnt</em> from a need to drink Nero’s own ‘goodnight’ from those lips – when Nero suddenly called behind him:</p>
<p>“Can we talk?”</p>
<p>Dante froze. Anxiety, his old-time friend and enemy, gripped him tight. What the fuck was he anxious about? Hadn’t Nero proved already he wasn’t angry at Dante? The least he could do for the kid was to talk with him.</p>
<p>And if Dante was completely, deeply honest with himself he’d admit he was afraid of destroying another chance that Fate was willing to give him for some reason.</p>
<p>“... Sure.” Instead of closing the door, Dante opened it wider, letting Nero come inside.</p>
<p>Nero was smiling sheepishly, scratching at his right arm in a way which comforted him as Dante had learnt already. He looked at ease, but there was tension in his shoulders and neck, and a familiar fire of stubbornness shone in his eyes.</p>
<p>“So, what do you want to talk about?” Dante asked lightly, dragging out the words a little; he leaned against the footboard, crossing his arms on his chest.</p>
<p>Instead of answering, Nero confidently moved closer to him. His chin was raised as if in a challenger like he dared Dante to disagree with... whatever Nero was planning to do.</p>
<p>Just like a few days ago, Nero raised his hand, but this time he didn’t pull Dante into a hug. He touched Dante’s cheek gently with his fingertips and it took Dante’s all will-power to not turn his head and kiss those nimble fingers.</p>
<p>Nero stood so close Dante could feel the warmth of his body, he could see the faint lines of Nero’s muscles under the thin t-shirt he chose to sleep in. His scent was assaulting Dante’s nose too and it was oh so hard not to <em>whine</em> in pleasure when Dante realised Nero kept using the same soap as he did. The kid didn’t play fair at all.</p>
<p>“Nero...” Dante breathed up, his heart pounding in his chest faster.</p>
<p>Like a starved man, he leaned slightly closer into welcoming warmth of Nero; the hand caressing his cheek was melting his knee. Was he this much starved for human contact or was it because it was Nero touching him?</p>
<p>Dante suddenly wanted to laugh at his stupidity. Of course it was because of Nero.</p>
<p>As if that would ever change.</p>
<p>“I thought you wanted to talk,” Dante finally, his voice raspy.</p>
<p>It made Nero shiver as if Dante startled him as if he was just as much affected by those small touches as Dante was...</p>
<p>“We are,” Nero whispered, nervously biting at his lips. “Our bodies are more honest than we could ever be.”</p>
<p>Wasn’t it true? They all understood each other the best in the battle. And while neither he nor Nero had said ‘I love you’ years ago, Dante had felt the love Nero had had for him then, could taste it in Nero’s every kiss and touch. He remembered quietly praying back then that his behaviour had shown Nero enough how much Dante cared about him.</p>
<p>Dante took Nero’s hand in his own, closing his eyes and pressing it to his lips. Nero’s breath hitched up in his throat. The atmosphere was becoming more and more intimate and feverishly hot; Dante didn’t feel like he could fight it for much longer, saner parts of his mind succumbing to Nero’s charm.</p>
<p>“But we should talk, Nero,” Dante continued stubbornly, hating himself for doing what was right instead of pulling Nero to the bed and worshipping his body with kisses like he deserved it. “I didn’t tell you we were family, you should hate me for this, you can’t... I didn’t even <em>fight</em> for you—”</p>
<p>And then Dante was suddenly yanked down, a strong, big hand tangling in his hair and he was being kissed as if Nero’s life depended on it: hot and hard, Nero’s lips pressing harshly against his own before Dante relented and parted them, letting Nero’s tongue slid inside. One of them whined – or maybe both of them did it – when their tongues twirled around each other when they could taste each other, <em>finally</em>.</p>
<p>Dante’s hands found their way to Nero’s hips and he pulled Nero closer, enjoying how Nero moaned appreciatively into their kiss, clenching his hand in Dante’s hair when Dante grind himself against Nero’s quickly tenting boxers.</p>
<p>But then Nero moved back, breaking their kiss and this time Dante did <em>whine, </em>leaning more into Nero and wanting to capture his lips in another kiss.</p>
<p>“Just... just let me say it, okay?” Nero was panting, his cheeks flushed from the kiss and something in Dante purred in content seeing Nero being as affected by their actions as he felt. He rolled his hips against Nero’s again and Nero’s fingers dug painfully in Dante’s shoulders. “I didn’t... <em>fight</em> for us either, okay? And I’m not stupid, Sanctus implied we were related somehow, I just thought we weren’t closed... like cousins, thousands of times removed or some shit like that.”</p>
<p>Nero licked his swollen lips nervously again and this time Dante couldn’t help himself. He grabbed the back of Nero’s head and pulled him into another kiss, hitching Nero’s leg high and rubbing their erections against each other, savouring the way Nero was moaning at the sudden sensations, unable to even close his mouth and letting Dante ravage it.</p>
<p>It felt like Dante was burning, hellish fire swirling in his veins, and only Nero could extinguish whatever fever threatened to swallow him whole.</p>
<p>“I want to try, Dante,” Nero panted, pressing his forehead against Dante’s, his breath ghosting over Dante’s face, his leg unwinding from around Dante’s hips. “I think... I think you want it too.” Two hands, bigger and stronger than Dante remembered them cupped his face, and Nero continued, his voice almost pleading. “I admit I was pissed off at you at first... But I missed you so fucking much...” Nero’s hands fell, his voice cracking up slightly.</p>
<p>“Nero, Nero...” Dante started pressing quick, heated kisses against every part of Nero’s face.</p>
<p>He didn’t know if he was capable of speaking any more, too drunk on Nero back in his arms. But Dante had a feeling he knew where Nero was going with his speech and he forced himself to stop, to give Nero a moment to breathe.</p>
<p>“I missed you so much too,” Dante whispered, looking at Nero with as much seriousness as he could muster. “And I... I want to try again. Us. If you let me.”</p>
<p>He probably should have told that <em>before</em> he started to hump Nero’s leg though. Nero gripped Dante’s shirt tighter, looking at him with so much <em>hope</em> Dante swore he would never, ever, do anything to upset Nero again.</p>
<p>“Shit, Dante, I— I want it too. I...” If it was possible Nero’s cheeks got even redder and his expression even more determined. “I love you. I‘ve been for a while.”</p>
<p>And even if Dante knew what was coming, it still hit him like a thunderbolt, electrifying his whole body. When was the last time he heard those two words spoken to him with such affection, with so much <em>love</em>?</p>
<p>Dante breathed out deeply and pressed Nero’s hand to his chest, above his fast-beating heart, Nero looking at him puzzlingly. Dante had never been good at talking about his feelings but if he couldn’t be honest with Nero then with who?</p>
<p>“You... you’ve been here for a while too.” Dante licked his suddenly dry lips, words getting stuck in his throat from the sudden wave of embarrassment. Fuck his reactions, he could pay for Nero’s honestly with his own. “I— I think I’ve been in love with you since I met you. And I want to try again, Nero, so much, dammit it, I—”</p>
<p>Dante never finished that sentence. For the second time this evening he was pulled by Nero into a breathtaking kiss – and why were Nero’s eyes glistening like that, did he fuck up something? – and after that, it was difficult to track everything, too difficult to focus on anything else than the taste of Nero’s skin under his lips and the feel of Nero’s body wrapped around his own.</p>
<p>Somehow, they ended up in bed. Dante wasn’t sure how and he didn’t even need to know; thinking about that was less important than Nero sitting upon Dante’s hips and taking his t-shirt off, showing the wide expanse of his chest in its full glory. As if a starved beast, Dante wrapped his arms around Nero and pulled him closer, hungrily licking and sucking at Nero’s pecs; they had always been sensitive and Dante was using that knowledge to drive Nero crazy from desire. Nero was moaning in pleasure, grinding his hips down against Dante’s bulging erection and yanking painfully at Dante’s hair – not as Dante minded it.</p>
<p>“Dante, Dante, <em>Dante</em>...” His name on Nero’s lips was the most beautiful sound in the world, Dante decided, deliberately scratching Nero’s sensitive nipple with his stubble and enjoying Nero's groan of ecstasy. “Fuck, I want to fuck you so badly...”</p>
<p>“Do it,” Dante panted, looking up at Nero’s; the kid's gaze was <em>smouldering</em>, making Dante shiver. “Show you remember how to fuck me well.”</p>
<p>Nero’s eyes narrowed at the challenge and he rubbed himself deliberately slowly against Dante, prompting a moan from Dante.</p>
<p>“It’s <em>on</em>, old man.”</p>
<p>How could Nero do it, rev up Dante so hard with just a few words and a smirk? Some things just didn’t change.</p>
<p>“Then go on.” Dante leaned back on his elbows, spreading his legs invitingly, more than infatuated by the way Nero’s eyes darkened and how he slid his gaze over Dante’s body. “Just like the first time, huh?”</p>
<p>Instead of answering Nero suddenly leaned down, mouthing hungrily on Dante’s erection still trapped in his boxers, as if trying to fit it whole in his mouth. Dante moaned, his hips thrusting up but Nero, that brat, pulled back, smirking mischievously.</p>
<p>“Soon,” Nero promised, caressing Dante’s dick with his cheek like a cat, his voice sweet as honey. The prickling sensation from Nero’s stubble sent shivers down Dante’s spine; it was unfamiliar but enjoyable. A lot. “Just let me enjoy it.”</p>
<p>Dante wasn’t sure he would survive Nero enjoying his body if the kid kept doing things at that. Still, he complied – for now – and only watched how Nero quickly discarded his underwear, his fat dick curving up, its head soaking precum. Dante liked his lips seeing it but he kept himself from reaching for it. He missed how Nero’s dick tasted.</p>
<p>Just to be mean he didn’t raise a finger to help when Nero started to undress him, instead of observing and savouring Nero’s reactions to every part of Dante’s body being unrevealed. Nero wasn’t the only one who packed more muscles now.</p>
<p>Nero ran his hand over Dante’s chest, playing with the hair there, mesmerized, his throat bobbing while he gulped.</p>
<p>“You shaved your chest before.” Nero’s tone was almost accusing. “I like how it is now.” He put his mouth in place of his hand, licking Dante’s chest up to his throat; his stubble scratched deliciously at Dante’s chest hair, making his toes curl in pleasure. “A lot.”</p>
<p>“I can see,” Dante panted, pleasure surging through him in waves. “I like that stubble of yours too.”</p>
<p>He wanted to reach up to touch Nero, pull him down and feel Nero’s lithe body rubbing itself against his own, but in the blink of the eye a familiar set of blue wings appeared, showing Dante back by his shoulders. That combined with the dangerous twinkle in Nero’s eyes, made Dante’s stomach clench in anticipation. Fuck, at this rate his world was going to get rocked <em>hard</em>.</p>
<p>“Let me take care of you, okay?” Nero pleaded, kissing Dante’s sensitive spot on his throat and fuck it, Dante could only moan in agreement.</p>
<p>Nero slid down on Dante’s body, leaving a burning trail of kisses, licking and sucking at Dante’s skin as if Nero wanted to devour him. His fingers rubbed Dante’s nipples mercilessly and Dante trashed in the hold of Nero’s wings, arching his back. It felt so good when Nero was touching him like that.</p>
<p>Nero’s face hovered over Dante’s erection, his hot breath making Dante leak even more.</p>
<p>“But <em>this</em> didn’t change. As big as I remember,” Nero mused. He looked up at Dante and then, without breaking their gazes, he licked his palm and wrapped it around Dante’s dick, stroking it slowly, just the way Dante had taught him he loved it.</p>
<p>“Shit, Nero, this is a torture,” Dante moaned, his body on fire, his hips thrusting into Nero’s tight grip on their own.</p>
<p>Nero, the imp, chuckled, before sucking on the head of Dante’s dick. <em>That</em> made Dante groan loudly and he gripped the sheets so hard he ripped them when Nero started to tongue at the slit, moaning like it was the best thing he had ever had in his mouth, taking more and more of Dante’s cock between those pretty, pink lips, his gaze boring into Dante the whole time. Damnit, it felt so good, too good, Nero’s mouth was so hot and wet, his tongue licking at the underside of Dante’s dick, driving Dante crazy.</p>
<p>So consumed by trying to <em>not</em> grab Nero by his hair and fuck into his mouth like it was a fleshlight, Dante completely missed when Nero used one of his spectral wings to retrieve a bottle of lube from the bedside table. He only noticed that when the wing’s hand dropped that bottle next to his hip and went back to rest on his shoulder.</p>
<p>Nero pulled his mouth from Dante’s dick with a vulgar <em>‘pop’</em> sound, licking his lips like a cat that got to taste cream.</p>
<p>“I want you to fuck me later,” he purred, uncovering the bottle with his teeth.</p>
<p>Dante could only nod, feeling as if Nero had just sucked his brain through his dick. Nero poured the lube over his hand and then some of it on his chest, smearing it over quickly healing bruises Dante had left there; he wanted to add more, his teeth aching to sank into that pretty skin again—</p>
<p>Nero bent down again, swallowing almost the whole Dante’s dick, his throat vibrating in pleasure. Dante had to take a few deep breaths to not come from that, focusing instead of the way Nero’s fingers started to press into him tentatively. It’d been too long since the last time he got fucked but Dante still spread his legs more, pushing his hips at Nero’s probing fingers, needing them to thrust into him without abandon.</p>
<p>Before much time passed, Nero was already scissoring his fingers inside Dante, pushing a third one into him and Dante had enough. He grabbed Nero’s hair tight and yanked his head back; Nero whined like a wounded animal when Dante’s dick slipped from his mouth and Dante promised himself right then that he was going to fuck Nero’s face very, very soon.</p>
<p>“If you don’t fuck me in the next three seconds, you can leave,” Dante panted with as much dignity as a guy with fingers up his ass could have.</p>
<p>Nero giggled, his lips so red and swollen they looked obscene.</p>
<p>“Thought you’d never ask,” he joked sitting back on his thighs. “Do you want to turn...?” The demonic hands on Dante’s shoulders spasmed as if Nero wanted to help him.</p>
<p>Dante shook his head though, wrapping his legs loosely around Nero’s waist instead.</p>
<p>“I want to see you,” he murmured in a low, raspy voice which he had noticed affected Nero much.</p>
<p>A shy smile blossomed on Nero’s face. Dante saved it in memory to laugh it some other time; the kid could deepthroat him like a pro but was shy about fucking face to face?</p>
<p>Nero grabbed himself in his hand and aimed his dick at Dante’s opening, pushing it slowly. They both moaned loudly, Nero’s hands grabbing Dante’s hips and Dante ripping more holes in the sheets. Nero’s cock felt bigger now, fatter; yet it was as delicious as it had used to be when Nero breached him, forcing that thick cockhead into Dante’s slick ass. He fed Dante his erection slowly, one inch at a time and when Dante thought he was going crazy, Nero finally bottomed out in him. Dante’s head pulled back, his eyes rolling up. Nero was so <em>deep</em> inside him, so hot and big, forcing Dante’s insides to accommodate him and Dante loved every second of it.</p>
<p>He wrapped his arms around Nero, pulling him down, their chest moving against each other in the rhythm of their panting, Dante’s own dick rubbing itself against Nero’s taut stomach.</p>
<p>They didn’t need more words. Nero started to move, slowly at first but building the tempo quickly once he realized how well Dante’s body was opening up to him. He was breathing hard, the sound of his balls slapping against Dante’s ass resonating through the room, his cock making Dante see stars.</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, like this, fuck, Nero...” Dante whined, thrusting his hips against Nero, wanting Nero to fuck him more, faster, <em>deeper.</em></p>
<p>He kissed Nero hard, fucking Nero’s mouth with his tongue just like he wished – needed – to be fucked, digging his heels into Nero’s ass and urging him to be rougher. Nero growled into their kiss and suddenly the world turned when Nero pulled back, hiking Dante’s hips up and making him slide down on the pillows. Still growling like an animal – a demon – Nero practically folded Dante in half, hammering into him so hard the whole bed moved, Dante’s legs resting uselessly on Nero’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“If you could... see yourself...” Nero panted, his dick drilling into Dante mercilessly and Dante sobbed, his prostate being abused with Nero’s every thrust but it felt so good, so great to be used like this, to have Nero fuck into him like Dante’s ass was the last fuckable thing on the earth.  </p>
<p>Dante felt his orgasm approaching and he started jerking himself off in rhythm of Nero’s thrusts, unable to stop himself from moaning. Nero bent low enough to bite at Dante’s lips, his hand joining Dante’s and soon Dante was close to coming, his body all feverish, lust overcoming his senses.</p>
<p>“Together, Nero, please...”</p>
<p>Dante wasn’t sure what he was saying anymore, his mind overcame the cloud of pleasure but Nero understood him. He started to grind his dick into Dante with long and hard thrusts, his hand moving over Dante’s cock even harder. Instinctively, Dante yanked Nero’s head to the side and bit at his throat hard, almost enough to draw blood, coming so hard dark spots danced in his vision. Nero groaned, grabbing at Dante’s hips again and stilling them while he ploughed into Dante, chasing his orgasm and moaning Dante’s name.</p>
<p>Nero stilled when he came, spilling himself deep into Dante’s ass and it made another wave of pleasure spread through Dante, his cock twitching with interest in the come stained mess that was on his stomach. Nero pulled out slowly, pulling Dante’s legs down and Dante felt the come slipping from him. He reached down between his thighs and gathered some of it before raising his fingers to his mouth and licking them clean, observing how Nero’s face clouded with arousal again.</p>
<p>“You’re a dirty pervert,” Nero panted, wiping the sweat from his face with his hand. Too bad. Dante liked to see him all sweaty and flushed like that.</p>
<p>He stretched on the bed, smirking.</p>
<p>“You love this pervert.” Nero chuckled, rubbing his nose. So cute. Dante patted the spot next to him. “C’mon, let’s sleep. We’ll get a shower later.”</p>
<p>Nero laid down next to Dante almost without hesitation, eagerly wriggling his way under Dante’s arm to lay his head on Dante’s chest. The content sight Nero made was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Without thinking Dante pressed a kiss to Nero’s hair, smiling deeply Nero’s scent.</p>
<p>Nero looked up at him and reached out to Dante’s hand, entwining their fingers.</p>
<p>“This will work, this time. And... You <em>will</em> stay, right?” He sounded so <em>young</em>, so uncertain despite their confession from before; who could have blamed him though?</p>
<p>Dante squeezed Nero’s palm tighter and brought it to his lips. He kissed Nero’s every knuckle, savouring the way Nero’s breathing quickened and how a blush coloured his cheeks, Dante’s heart growing bigger from emotions quickly overcoming him, threatening to burst.</p>
<p>“Forever.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Title inspired by "Prisoner of love": <i>Now you’re chasing after a shadow of love</i>. I highly recommend this song to listen to when you think about your OTPs ;) </p>
<p>Here's my <a href="https://twitter.com/fireyfire">twitter</a> if you want to talk about Danero and Spardacest :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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